Skip to main content

Wisconsin Union Theater Season

The 2025-2026 Season 

The curtain rises on an artfully curated 2025-2026 Season at the Wisconsin Union Theater! As always, we bring you a season that represents the best in performing arts. You’ll find familiar artists with a fresh interpretation of classic works and exciting new projects alongside significant talents that you may have heard of and will be glad to know better. All honor where the performing arts have been and challenge you to come to the edge of what’s new.

In addition to the long tradition of elevated performances in our classical and jazz series, the season is enhanced with new and legendary works in dance, Hip Hop, orchestral music, and mind-bending shadow-puppetry. And more will be added soon. These are performances that will satisfy and enrich you.

While all current season details can be found below, we would be remiss if we did not call your attention to two phenomenal opportunities in particular:

  • Superstar mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato joins Time for Three in a new work by Kevin Puts, which synthesizes music, visuals, and poetry to celebrate Emily Dickinson.
  • The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra under music director Vasily Petrenko brings Shostakovich’s 10th Symphony and Berlioz’s Béatrice et Bénédict Overture, Beethoven’s First Piano Concerto with pianist Benjamin Grosvenor. *A subscriber presale date and discount will be announced this fall. General ticket sales to this event will open in the fall, too; more details to come.*
 

Starting June 10, you can customize your season experience with three subscription options:

Classical Series Subscription - Embrace a journey from the honored foundations of classical music to today’s innovations that extend classical traditions into the future. All concerts are in Shannon Hall at Memorial Union. Learn more

Jazz Series Subscription - Experience personal interpretations of jazz giants to living legends reuniting on our stage to fresh international artists defining their take on jazz. Learn more

Build-Your-Own Subscription - Made for curious performing arts fans who like variety, a build-your-own subscription lets you pick your favorite events and save money on tickets.

  • Save 15% by bundling 3–5 Performances
  • Save 20% by bundling 6 or More Performances 
Single ticket sales open June 24

Upcoming Events

Nov
15

Samara Joy

Music
Nov 15 2025 | 7:30 - 9:30pm
Wisconsin Union Theater
Ticketed Event
Earning five GRAMMY Awards, including 2023’s Best New Artist, Samara Joy’s “live performances are just as breathtaking as experiencing her on wax” (JazzTimes).
Samara Joy 800x800
Dec
05
Dec 5 2025 | 7:30 - 9:30pm
Wisconsin Union Theater
Ticketed Event
The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, one of the premier chamber-music organizations in the U.S., boasts a roster of world-class musicians as they perform Bach’s most transcendent works: the complete Brandenburg Concertos.
Photo of musicians performing the Brandenburg Concertos on stage, dressed in red and black formal attire.
Jan
28
Jan 28 2026 | 7:30 - 9:30pm
Augue fere pagus paratus sagaciter tego veniam
Ticketed Event
Led by music director Vasily Petrenko and featuring pianist Benjamin Grosvenor, the Madison community has a rare opportunity to welcome the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, considered one of the best international orchestras in history.
Photo of string musicians from the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra sitting on stage with the audience in the background.
Feb
07
Feb 7 2026 | 7:30 - 9:30pm
Wisconsin Union Theater
Ticketed Event
Part historian and part magician, jazz pianist Jason Moran explores band leader James Reese Europe’s groundbreaking music to reveal what jazz was and what it became.
Photo of Jason Moran wearing a blue suit, leaning on a railing with his arm extended towards the camera.
Feb
12
Feb 12 2026 | 7:30 - 9:30pm
Wisconsin Union Theater
Ticketed Event
Superstar mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato joins Time for Three in a new work by Kevin Puts, which synthesizes music, visuals, and poetry to celebrate Emily Dickinson.
Emily No Prisoners Be 1200x800
Feb
28
Feb 28 2026 | 7:30 - 9:30pm
Wisconsin Union Theater
Ticketed Event
Featuring trumpeter Jeremy Pelt, saxophonist Tivon Pennicott, and pianist Emmet Cohen, celebrate the centennial of Miles Davis and John Coltrane.
Photo of Emmet Cohen leaning against a wooden desk.
Mar
05
Mar 5 2026 | 7:30 - 9:30pm
Wisconsin Union Theater
Ticketed Event
Two of opera’s brightest stars and Metropolitan Opera favorites, soprano Erin Morley and tenor Lawrence Brownlee, share the stage for an evening of bel canto brilliance.
Split frame featuring images of Erin Morley (left) and Lawrence Brownlee (right)
Mar
12
Mar 12 2026 | 7:30 - 9:30pm
Wisconsin Union Theater
Ticketed Event
Virtuoso singer, dancer, percussionist, and songwriter from Côte d’Ivoire, Dobet Gnahoré, offers a message of hope for the future with her new album.
Photo of Dobet Gnahore wearing a red dress with yellow and green jewelry, standing with her hand on her hips.
Mar
18
Mar 18 2026 | 7:30 - 9:30pm
Wisconsin Union Theater
Ticketed Event
Blending movement, personal stories, and striking visuals, Bill T. Jones’s "Still / Here," remounting 30 years after its premiere, is a testament to the survival and strength of people facing life-threatening conditions.
Photo of dance company members on stage with their arms raised, wearing white clothing illuminated by pastel lights.
Mar
22
Mar 22 2026 | 7:30 - 9:30pm
Wisconsin Union Theater
Ticketed Event
Featuring masterpieces of Bach, Haydn, and Beethoven, the Doric String Quartet continues to win over audiences with their combination of elegance and intimacy.
Photo of Doric String Quartet dressed in formal attire holding their instruments.